Resilient gasket forming material and method of producing same



Sept. 4, 1956 w. M. DE WlTT, SR

RESILIENT GASKET FORMING MATERIAL AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME 2Sheets-Sheet l kECr Eh Fi led Sept. 17, 1955 INVENTOR. mixer M pe w, 6*

Sept. 4. 1956 w, M. DE WlTT, SR 2,761,203

RESILIENT GASKET FORMING MATERIAL AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME FiledSept. 17, 1955 2 Shee tsSheet 2 IN V EN TOR. may Mp6 5?- United Statesatent This invention relates to fabricated resilient material fromWhlOll gaskets and like articles can be formed, and to method ofproducing said material.

The invention has for an object to provide a resilient metallic materialfrom which gaskets and like articles can be formed, which material,although it readily yields to compression, will, when compressingpressure is relaxed, possess marked ability to recover its normalcross-sectional shape; in other words, a resilient compressible metallicmaterial having a high coeflicient of recovery so that, in use, it willnot crush or mat down into a permanently deformed or flattened conditionbut, on the contrary, will quickly respond to effects of expansion andcontraction of parts between which it is engaged, and will thereforemaintain complete and constant contact with said parts at all times.

The invention has for a further object to provide a resilient metallicgasket or like article forming material, characterized as above stated,which can be used to form an all metallic gasket or like article, or canbe used as a core to yieldably support an enclosing fluid imperviousjacket, a fire resistant jacket, or jacket providing other desiredcharacteristics, whereby to provide gaskets or like articles having suchdesired characteristics.

The invention has for another object to provide method procedure bywhich to fabricate the resilient metallic material having the abovestated characteristics.

The above and other objects will be understood from. a reading of thefollowing detailed description of this invention in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which: i

Fig. 1 is a face view of a flattened strip of tubular knit hard metallicwire which provides the base stock from which the resilient gasketforming material of this invention is produced.

Fig. 2 is a face view of the flattened stock strip of Fig. 1 after thesame has been treated to form therein corrugations extending diagonallyacross its width.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view, in part longitudinal section, showingthe corrugated stock strip helically wound and lapped upon itself toform a running length of tubular resilient gasket forming materialproviding 01156111- bodiment of this invention, wherein the corrugationsof the helically wound stock strip are disposed oblique to thelongitudinal axis of the material.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the tubular resilient gasketforming material of Fig. 3 enclosed in an external covering sleeve oftubular knit wire.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to that of Fig. 4 but showing the tubularresilient gasket forming material further provided with an internallining sleeve of tubular knit wire.

Fig. 6 is also a View similar to that of Fig. 4, but showing theresilient gasket forming material used to provide a corefor the supportof an external jacket of selected desired characteristics.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to that of Fig. 3 but showing the corrugatedstock strip so helically wound and lapped upon itself as to produce arunning tubular length of resilient gasket forming material providing amodified embodiment of the invention, wherein the corrugations of thehelically wound stock strip are disposed parallel to the longitudinalaxis of the material; and Fig. 8 shows the material of Fig. 7 enclosedin an external covering sleeve of tubular knit wire.

In fabricating the resilient metallic gasket forming material of thisinvention, an indeterminate length of tubular knit metallic fabric isproduced on a circular knitting machine. The tubular fabric is knittedfrom a hard metallic wire, such as nickel-steel wire of suitable gauge,in such manner as to form a knitted mesh of comparatively small loopsize, and a tubular body of such diameter that when it is flattened anindeterminate running length of stock strip 16 of selected width will beprovided (see Fig. 1).

After the tubular body of knit fabric is flattened to form the stockstrip 10, said stock strip is run through suitable corrugating rollswhereby to provide the same with successive corrugations 11 extending\diagonally across its width (see Fig. 2). l

The body of the resilient gasket forming material is produced byhelically winding the corrugated stock strip ill-11 about a mandrel ofselected rdiameter (not shown), along which mandrel the helically woundformation is advanced, and from which it is continuously discharged. Thecorrugated stock strip ill-11 is led to the mandrel at a predeterminedangle, so that, as revolved around said mandrel, each successive helicalconvolution formed around the mandrel will lap a preceding formedconvolution, preferably in extent of half the length thereof more orless. By this procedure, a tubular body 12 of indeterminate length,comprising a succession of lapped helical convolutions 13 is formed.Preferably the corrugated stock strip ltl-11, as fe d onto the mandrelfor winding about the same, is so disposed that the corrugations 11 ofthe formed convolutio-ns 13 will extend oblique to the longitudinal axisof the mandrel and therefore oblique to the longitudinal axis of thehelically Wound body of the resultant gasket forming material (see Fig.3).

Since the corrugated stock strip comprises two plies, the overlapping ofsuccessively wound helical convolutions thereof will build a wallcomprising four corrugate plies of the knitted wire mesh, with thecorrugations thereof substantially intermeshed or nested one in anotherin such interlocking relation as to form a comparatively dense andspringy wall structure. Such Wall structure will yield to pressuresubstantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the formedtubular body, but in so doing will set up such reactionary internaltensional stresses in the wall structure as to assure recovery of thelaterally depressed tubular body to its normal crosssectional shape whenpressure is relaxed. The diagonal disposition of the interlockedcorrugations further promote resistance to lateral pressure so as toincrease reactionary tension in the wall structure when the tubular bodyis subjected to lateral compression.

The resilient metallic gasket forming material, characterized as aboveset forth, can be wrought into an annular or other desired gasketformation suitable formany uses where an all metallic, elasticallycompressible gasket or like article is required. In many cases, however,it is desirable to enclose the resilient metallic gasket formingmaterial in an external enveloping sleeve of tubular knit mesh, knitfrom a suitable wire or other strand, whereby to better hold the helicalconvolutions of the tubular body against relative displacement, and tofacilitate handling of the gasket forming material in bulk. This isshown in Fig. 4 wherein the material is provided with a covering sleeve14 of tubular knit wire, said sleeve being partially broken away in thisview to disclose the underlying tubular body 12 of the gasket formingmaterial. It is sometimes also desirable, as shown in Fig. 5, to providethe tubular body 12 of the gasket forming material with an internalsupporting sleeve or lining 15 of tubular knit springy wire. Suchprovision enhances the tensional resiliency of the material. It will beunderstood that the internal supporting sleeve or lining 15 may be usedwithout the external covering sleeve 14, and vice versa, accordingly ascircumstances of use of a gasket or like article formed from thematerial may dictate. I

If it is desired that a gasket or like article formed from the resilientmetallic material be impervious to fluid, or that it be fire proof orfire resistant, then said material may be encased in an external jacket16 of a suitable fluid impervious material in the one case, or of fireproof or fire resistant material, e. g. an asbestos fabric, in the othercase (see Fig. 6). It will be understood that the jacket 16 may be ofselected material providing both the fluid impervious and the fire proofcharacteristics if this be desired.

Referring now to Fig. 7, a modified embodiment of the resilient metallicgasket forming material of this in vention is shown therein. Thismodified form of the material is also produced from the corrugatedknitted wire stock strip 10-1l by helically winding the same around amandrel, to which said stock strip is led at a predetermined angle, sothat, as revolved around the mandrel, each successive helicalconvolution will lap a preceding convolution, whereby to produce atubular body 12 of indeterminate length. In this case, the stock's'trip, as fed ontothe mandrel for winding about the same, is sodisposed that the corrugations 11 of the formed convolutions 13 willextend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mandrel, and thereforeparallel to the longitudinal axis of the helically wound tubular bodyformation. The corrugations of contiguous plies of the wound strip Willbecome substantially intermeshed or nested one in another, but owing tothe disposition thereof parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubularbody, said body will be somewhat softer and less resistant tocompression, although still possessing a high coefficient of recoveryfrom compression. This modfied embodiment of the material may also beenclosed within an external tubular knit covering sleeve 14 (see Fig.8). It will also be obvious that this modified form of the material maybe provided with the internal supporting or lining of tubular knit wire15 if desired. It will also be understood that this modified form of thematerial may be encased in the fluid impervious or fire proof or fireresistant jacket 16 if desired.

It is also pointed out that a composite structure which combines bothabove described embodiments of the helically convolute bodies may beproduced by superposing wound convolutions of one upon the woundconvolutions of the other, with a selected one of the forms beingdisposed as the inner winding while the other is superposed as the outerwinding.

It will also be understood that a multiple of windings of either or bothtypes of the helically convolute bodies may be wound one upon another tobuild up the material to desired body thickness. This may be done insuch manner that the corrugations of contiguous windings either nesttogether or cross one another, according to the degree of density andresiliency desired to characterize the finished product.

The composite structures above mentioned may be provided with anexternal covering sleeve 14, an internal supporting or lining sleeve 15,or both, and, if desired, with the fluid impervious or fireproof or fireresistant jacket 16.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a resilient trans versely compressiblemetallic material for gaskets and like articles comprising a tubularbody formed by a strip of flattened tubular knit hard wire meshhelically wound and lapped upon itself into tubular formation, saidstrip having corrugations extending obliquely across its width wherebysaid corrugations of the helically wound and lapped strip are disposedacross the tubular body oblique to its longitudinal axis, thecorrugations of lapped portions of the convolutions of the tubular bodybeing substantially nested and intermeshed together to provide saidtubular body with a springy wall structure.

2. The article of manufacture as characterized in claim 1 wherein thetubular body is provided with an external non-corrugate cover sleeve oftubular knit mesh.

3. The article of manufacture as characterized in claim 1 wherein thetubular body is provided with an internal non-corrugate lining sleeve oftubular knit hard Wire mesh.

4. The article of manufacture as characterized in claim 1 wherein thetubular body is provided with an external non-corrugate cover sleeve oftubular knit mesh and with an internal non-corrugate lining sleeve oftubular knit hard wire mesh.

5. The article of manufacture as characterized in claim 1 including anexternal jacket of a selected material having liquid proof, fire proofor other desired chaarcteristics.

6. A method of producing resilient transversely compressible metallicmaterial for gaskets and like articles comprising flattening to stripform a tubular knit hard wire mesh, corrugating the strip to providecorrugations therein extending obliquely across its width, and thenhelically winding the corrugated strip upon itself to form a tubularbody wherein each succeeding convolution laps the preceding convolutionby approximately one-half the width of the corrugated strip, with thecorrugations of the lapped portions of the convolutions nested so as tobe intermeshed and disposed to extend oblique to the lon gitudinal axisof the tubular body formed thereby.

7. A method of producing resilient transversely compressible metallicmaterial for gaskets and like articles comprising flattening to stripform a tubular knit hard wire mesh, corrugating the strip to providecorrugations therein extending obliquely across its width, and thenhelically winding the corrugated strip upon itself to form a tubularbody wherein each succeeding convolution laps the preceding convolutionby approximately one-half the width of the corrugated strip, with thecorrugations of the lapped portions of the convolutions nested so as tobe intermeshed and disposed to extend parallel to the longitudinal axisof the tubular body formed thereby.

8. As an article of manufacture, a resilient transversely compressiblemetallic material for gaskets and like articles comprising a tubularbody formed by strips of flattened tubular knit hard wire mesh, providedwith transverse corrugations, each strip being helically wound andlapped upon itself with the corrugations of the lapped portions of itsconvolutions substantially nested and intermeshed together, and one thuswound strip being superposed upon another to provide the resultanttubular body with a desired wall thickness.

9. As an article of manufacture, a resilient transversely compressiblemetallic material for gaskets and like articles comprising a tubularbody formed by a strip of flattened tubular knit hard wire meshhelically wound and lapped upon itself into tubular formation, saidstrip having corrugations extending obliquely across its width, and thecorrugations of the convolutions of the tubular body being disposedparallel to the longitudinal axis of said body with said corrugations oflapped portions of said convolutions substantially nested andintermeshed together to provide said tubular body with a springy wallstructure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,190,886 Schaaf Feb. 20, 1940 2,334,263 Hartwell Nov. 16, 19432,386,823 Thornburgh Oct. 16, 1945 2,574,920 Ilch NOV. 13, 19512,583,316 Bannister Jan. 22, 1952 2,600,630 Fergusson June 17, 1952

1. AS AN ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE, A RESILIENT TRANSVERSELY COMPRESSIBLEMETALLIC MATERIAL FOR GASKETS AND LIKE ARTICLES COMPRISING A TUBULARBODY FORMED BY A STRIP OF FLATTENED TUBULAR KNIT HARD WIRE MESHHELICALLY WOUND AND LAPPED UPON ITSELF INTO TUBULAR FORMATION, SAIDSTRIP HAVING CORRUGATIONS EXTENDING OBLIQUELY ACROSS ITS WIDTH WHEREBYSAID CORRUGATIONS OF THE HELICALLY WOUND AND LAPPED STRIP ARE DISPOSEDACROSS THE TUBULAR BODY OBLIQUE TO ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS, THECORRUGATIONS OF LAPPED PORTIONS OF THE CONVOLUTIONS OF THE TUBULAR BODYBEING SUBSTANTIALLY NESTED AND INTERMESHED TOGETHER TO PROVIDE SAIDTUBULAR BODY WITH A SPRINGY WALL STRUCTURE.